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IRacing Motorsport Terms: C Terms
C Terms: ;# Camber : A.) The angle at which wheels are set up to tilt in or out, measured in degrees in or out from 90 degrees (i.e. "2.5 degrees negative camber" means each wheel is tilted 2.5 degrees inwards from vertical) "Positive camber" means the top of the tyre is angled outwards from the car; "negative camber" means that the top tilts inwards. Negative camber assists cornering performance as the outside tyres lean into the corner (like a motorcycle) which keeps the lateral forces on the tire lower and causes less flex in the sidewall, although it does also have the effect of increasing tyre wear. Or B.) Banking, the angle at which a corner inclines towards the outside or a straight from its lower side to its higher side. Sometimes specified as positive camber and negative camber, the latter indicating a decline from the inside of a corner. ; 2. Catch fence : A series of and combination of chain-link fencing, welded grid fencing, and / or cables used to slow or stop out of control cars and prevent debris and tyres from hitting the crowd. It is common on short tracks, street and permanent circuits. ; 3. Catch tank : Also known as a recovery tank. A receptacle placed in a go kart to capture the liquids like water and oil that would otherwise drop onto the track.[ ; 4. Chase vehicle : In off-road racing, a non-competitive vehicle that follows a competing vehicle to assist with repairs. ; 5. Chicane : An artificial feature added to the natural course of a track to slow cars or create a passing zone. ; 6. Clean air : Air that has not been affected by turbulence from other cars. ; 7. Clerk of the Course : The official responsible for all on-track activities including demonstrations and parades. They oversee the track conditions, supervise the marshals and emergency services, control the deployment of the safety car and decide upon suspending a session. If a race director is appointed the clerk is junior and the race director has ultimate authority; if not they are often the most senior official at a racing event. ; 8. Closing/shutting the door : A driver takes an early defensive racing line into a corner to block the car behind from overtaking along the preferred line. ; 9. Competition caution : A preplanned full course yellow, mandated by the sanctioning body, where drivers bring their vehicles into the pits. Frequently done to change tires because of excessive tire wear or to prevent teams from having to hire specialised pit crews (see Controlled Caution). In some cases, the safety car only is applied after a set number of consecutive green-flag laps or time has been run without a safety car (typically 50-100 laps). A cash or points bonus may be paid to the team leading at the time of the period (such as end of stage competition cautions in NASCAR's national series). ; 10. Control : Where the series organisers specify that all competitors in the race must use an identical part. ; 11. Controlled Caution : During a Safety Car period, regardless of a Competition Caution or an incident that brings out the Safety Car, teams can change tires and add fuel, within a limited time (2-5 laps or five minutes) to make adjustments. Depending on the series, teams will either not lose any track position (if it is an interval break) or will not lose track position relative to the cars that pitted during the caution (for example, if the third, fourth, and eighth place cars pit during the caution, they will be the first, second, and third place cars coming off pit lane, and will start behind lead-lap cars that did not pit, in the same relative order as before the safety car. This rule intends to prevent teams from hiring pit crews such as those seen in NASCAR's national series, which can cost at least $5,000 and often over $10,000 per race. ; 12. Crate motor : An engine that is ready-built and sealed by an independent company. Crate motors are sometimes mandated and sometimes optional. They are commonly used in regional touring series down to local tracks in divisions from late models on down. Crate motors are implemented to limit costs and it ensures that the entire field has the same equipment. The ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series have an optional LS-based GM small block engine 396ci crate engine option.17 ; 13. Crossed sticks : Two curled up flags held out in form of a cross signal the halfway mark in many American racing series. ; 14. Cushion : In dirt or off-road racing, when dirt is kicked up from the track that lands near the wall after trucks drift through the corners. The dirt builds up after time and can slow a driver down if they slide too deep into it while sliding through the turn. ; 15. Customer car : When a racing team uses a car built for them, either by another team, or by a specialist racing chassis manufacturer. Primarily a Formula One term where the majority of teams build their own cars. The practice has since been banned from F1. In some short track Late Model and Modified teams, "customer cars" are standard, while the opposite is the "house car," which is the works cars built by a chassis builder. Category:IRacing Motorsport Terms: C Terms